Doctors in India go on strike over sexual assault and murder of trainee medic

Resident doctors' organisation announces halt in elective services 'until justice is delivered'

Doctors at government hospitals across India have joined the protests after the killing of the female trainee medic

Doctors at several government-run hospitals in India halted elective services on Monday to protest against the rape and killing of a trainee doctor.

The woman, 31, was attacked on Friday at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, in eastern West Bengal state. Her body was found inside the state-run hospital.

A postmortem examination showed she suffered sexual assault before being killed.

A hospital volunteer, named as Sanjoy Roy, has been arrested. Local media reports say he admitted to the attack.

Resident doctors at the hospital have called for a judicial inquiry into the killing. They have gone on strike over the case.

"Our demands are clear and we will not rest until justice is delivered,” said Lahari Sarkar, speaking on behalf of the protesting doctors.

Doctors say they often face abuse from relatives of patients, with some medics assaulted. A survey by the Indian Medical Association found 75 per cent of doctors had faced some form of violence.

The protests have spread to several hospitals in the country, including in the capital New Delhi, where staff at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences have suspended elective services.

Resident doctors, junior doctors and trainee doctors in the cities of Mumbai and Chandigarh and the state of Karnataka have also announced an indefinite strike until an investigation into the case has been completed.

Outpatient departments, operating theatres and wards were shut at several hospitals.

"As a mark of our solidarity with the colleagues of RG Kar, we announce a nationwide halt of elective services in hospitals starting Monday,” the Federation of Resident Doctors' Associations, which is leading the protests, said in a statement.

“This decision is not made lightly, but it is necessary to ensure that our voices are heard and that the demands for justice and safety are met without further delay."

Sandip Ghosh, principal of the medical college at RG Kar hospital, has resigned.

West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the case would be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation if police failed to solve it.

Sexual violence against women is a widespread problem in India. An average of about 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022 in the country of 1.4 billion people, the National Crimes Record Bureau found.